Advice for Event Organisers

1. Fee Levels for Writers

Literature Wales is uniquely placed to observe the current ranges of writers’ fees being agreed between writers and promoters for workshops, readings and lectures in Wales. These can vary according to the experience of the writer, whether special preparation is involved beforehand, and whether significant amount of time is spent travelling to and from the event. The following rates may serve as a useful guideline to organisers when they negotiate fees with writers:

A writer in school for a day: between £170 – £270 for a full day / between £80 – £130 for a half day

A 1-3 hour reading, lecture or workshop which requires special preparation or follow-up work: between £70 – £270

A solo performance or “star” spot on a bill of several writers: between £60 – £220 according to the duration, reputation of the writer etc.

A mixed evening with a number of writers: from £25 to £125 each with performance times of 10-20 minutes each

These should only be treated as guidelines. Under no circumstances will Literature Wales contribute towards travel costs or other expenses from the Writers on Tour funding scheme. For events that include more than one writer, Literature Wales’ contribution can be up to 50% of the total of all writers’ fees.

2. Child Protection

Literature Wales aims to safeguard the welfare of children and vulnerable adults whilst attending or participating in the literary arts. Literature Wales is committed to good practice which protects children and vulnerable adults from harm. In addition, Literature Wales will provide clear guidance to its partners and clients on actions they should take, if they have concerns about the safety of children and vulnerable adults.

Literature Wales has its own in-house Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy that complies with the requirements placed by the Arts Council of Wales on its clients throughout Wales. Copies of this policy are available upon request.

With particular regard to Literature Wales’ funding schemes, organisers must remember that, under the terms of Literature Wales’ schemes, the event belongs to the organisation arranging it and is responsible for ensuring that only appropriate writers are engaged. Literature Wales does not take responsibility for the suitability of individual writers and does not provide DBS checks for writers engaged by organisations as part of the Writers on Tour funding scheme. Visiting writers should never be left without another adult from the organisation when working with children or vulnerable adults. Writers are NOT teachers and at least one teacher must always remain with the writer.

3. How to Improve the Quality of your Application

The aim of the Writers on Tour funding scheme is to support high-quality literary events which may not happen otherwise. Demand always exceeds the amount of funding available, meaning not all are successful, even if eligible. In order to make your application stand out, please keep in mind the following assessment criteria:

Is the event innovative, interesting and of high quality?

Is the event new to the writer? If not, is there a development/progression, or is the organisation using a writer they haven’t worked with before?

Is the selected writer suitable for the intended activity?

Is the event suitable and appropriate for the intended target audience?

Is the event taking place in a region currently experiencing low provision of literature events and is it reaching new audiences (for more information contact Literature Wales)?

Does the selected writer demonstrate either a strong track record of event performance or clear ability for this type of activity?

Is there a follow-up after the event and, in case of events which are open to the public, will the organiser document it (i.e. filming for YouTube, social media, blog or through local press or radio, etc.)?

For events which are open to the public, is the organiser using appropriate marketing channels/actively encouraging new audiences to attend, not just existing members?

For events which are open to the public, is the event likely to attract strong attendance/participation?

Any application deemed not to fulfil at least six of these criteria is unlikely to be successful.